Furniture structures and hardware therefor



March 14, 1967 R. EQJONES 3,308,486

FURNITURE STRUCTURES AND HARDWARE THEREFOR Filed March 20, 1964 INVENTOR.

ROME Ej JQNEs BY Milli;

ATT'YS United States Patent M 3,308,486 FURNITURE STRUCTURES AND HARDWARE THEREFOR Rome E. Jones, Newton, N.C., assignor to Prestige Furniture Corporation, Newton, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Mar. 24 1964, Ser. No. 353,399 8 Claims. Cl. -259) This invention, in general, pertains to furniture structures and, more particularly, pertains to furniture struc tures utilizing a convoluted spring support and two springmounting clips used therewith.

One type of furniture to which the invention pertains is chairs, couches or like seating furniture having a yieldable, spring support mounted on the seat and/or back frame of the furniture. The invention herein particularly pertains to back rest frame structures and furniture wherein a plurality of vertically directed sinuous springs are connected between an upper frame rail and a lower frame rail of the back'rest frame of the furniture. The ends of the sinuous springs are held on the respective rails by clip hardware in a manner whereby the mounted, sinuous spring forms an arch with its sharpest radius of bend adjacent the lower frame rail. A side-by-side series of these sinuous springs forms an economical, quickly assembled spring support structure for the back rest of the seating furniture.

The lower end of the sinuous springs are supported on the lower rail so that the terminal ends of the springs lie in a substantially horizontal plane. The upper rail of the back rest frame is disposed rearwardly of the lower rail. When the upper ends of the sinuous springs are attached to the upper rail, preferably with a pretension in the sinuous springs, these springs assume an arch of varying curvature with the sharpest bend in the arch being adjacent the lower rail.

The spring-support clips of the invention comprise two different types, one type for the lower rail and another type for the upper rail. The spring clips for the lower rail are essentially flat clips adapted to be mounted on the upper surface of the lower rail. These clipsembody bends or arches forming an S-curve, which bends or arches provide a seat pair for the last two legs of the convoluted spring at the lower end of said spring. The clip holds this lower end of the spring in a plane substantially parallel with the upper surface of the lower rail, i.e., a substantially horizontal plane. The clips for the lower rail further embody a base segment adapted to lie flat against the upper surface of the lower rail and may have holes, slots or the like punched therein to receive staples, screws, nails, or the like for attaching the clip to the lower rail. 1

The spring clips for the upper ends of the sinuous springs are mounted on the front, upper corner of the upper rail of the back rest frame. They comprise a base portion which may have punched holes, slots'or the like similar to those previously described for the lower rail clips. The base portion lies against the front, upper surface of the upper rail. The clip is bent at right angles to the base portion to provide a downwardly depending leg adapted to lie against the front face of the upper rail. The front portion of the clip has formed by reverse bendmg of the metal clip bent about the transverse bending axis a seat adapted to hold the upper end of the sinuous spring. The reverse bend forms an arc, as viewed in side elevation, which is more than a semicircle and less than a full circle. The are radius of the inner wall of the spring seat of the clip is the same as or slightly smaller than the radius of the spring wire seated therein. The spring seat of the clip opens at a narrow, spreadable neck opening upwardly. i

Patented Mar. 14, 1967 The combination aforedescribed thus provides a back rest, spring support structure comprising a series of sideby-side, sinuous springs extending vertically from the lower rail to an upper rail in an arch of varying curvature. The individual springs may be tied together by any conventional means. The spring support structure is readily and quickly mounted on the back rest frame structure and, by virtue of the clip mounting thereof, the individual springs assume the desired arch.

The invention, its objects and advantages will be further appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings: 7

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing the upper and lower frame rails of a back rest frame structure with a sinuous spring extending between and supported on the rails by the spring-mounting clips of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the lower rail spring-mounting clip shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of said clip.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, side elevation showing the lower segment of the spring and its mounting on the lower rail by the clip of FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are, respectively, a top plan view and a side elevation of the spring-mounting clip for the upper rail.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a fragment of a sinuous spring.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a lower rail 10 for the back rest frame and an upper rail 11 for said back rest frame. A series of side-by-side sinuous, spring wire springs 12 extend in a general vertical direction between the upper and lower rails. The sinuous springs 12 are composed of a series of alternating, staggered, opposing, semicircular loops 13 connected by straight wire segments 14. The springs 12 are supported between rails 10 and 11 in a manner whereby they assume, as viewed in side elevation, an arch of varying curvature with the sharpest bend of the arch occurring in the lower portion of the spring.

This arch in the springs 12 is achieved by mounting the terminal ends 15 of thelower ends of the springs 12 on the upper face of the rail 10 and holding the terminal ends 15 by means of a spring-mounting clip 16 so that the terminal ends 15 are firmly held in a plane substantially parallel with the upper surface of the frame rail 10, i.e., a substantially horizontal plane.

Clip 16 is an elongated, metal band or plate having a flat base portion 17 adapted to lie flat against the upper surface of the lower rail 10. The base portion 17 has stamped therein a pair of angularly offset holes or slots 18 for receiving the legs of a staple 19 stapled into the wooden, lower rail 10 to hold the spring-mounting clip firmly on the lower rail.

The spring-holding portion of the clip 16 extends rearwardly from the base portion 17. It is formed by shaping the metal band or plate into a pair of oppositely curved, transverse bends forming seats 22 and 23 for the last two legs 24 and 25, respectively, of the terminal end of-the lower part of the spring 12. Each spring preferably is mounted by a separate clip 15.

The bend is offset from the base portion 17 by a web portion 26 between the rearward end of the base portion 17 and the bend 20. The inner face of the bend 20 faces the upper surface of the rail 10 and forms a seat for the leg 24, holding it against upward displacement when the spring is tensioned and bent in the final assembly.

The bends 20 and 21 are connected by a straight, downwardly and rearwardly sloping web 27, the rear, lower edge of which terminates substantially coplanar with the base portion 17. The metal band or plate of the clip at this point then bends to form the bend 21 and termimates in an upwardly and forwardly extending lip 28. The bend 21 and lip 28 provide a seat for securely holding the outermost leg 25 of the lower end of the Spring 12.

This spring and clip assembly thus provides a structure by which the lower ends of the springs 12 are easily and quickly assembled and mounted on the lower rail of the back rest frame. The S-relationship of the bends and 21 hold the terminal end 15 in a substantially horizontal plane so that, when the spring 12 is attached to the upper rail 11 as shown in FIG. 1, the lower portion of the spring 12 assumes an arch of sharper curvature than the upper portion of the spring.

The upper wooden rail 11, which is disposed rearwardly of the lower rail 10, has stapled thereon by staples the spring mounting clips 31, one for each spring 12. The spring mounting clips 31 are bent metal plates or hands bent to provide a fiat base portion 32 lying fiat against the upper surface of the upper rail 11. The base 32 has a pair of holes or slots 33 punched therein to accommodaate the legs of the staples 30, whereby the clips 31 are fixedly attached to the rail 11. The base 32 lies fiat against the front, upper surface of the rail 11.

The clip 31 has a downwardly depending leg 34 formed by bending the plate or band of the clip 31 with a transverse, right angle bend 35. The leg 34 is adapted to lie substantially flush against the front face of the upper rail 11. The seat for the terminal leg 36 of the upper end of the spring is formed in the clip 31 by a transverse bend 37 into a circular arc which is more than a semicircle but less than a full circle, thus forming a seat 38 adapted to securely hold the leg 36. The seat 38 opens upwardly at a neck 39 of smaller width than the diameter of the leg 36. The neck 3? is formed by a transverse,

.reverse bend 49 in the metal plate or band of the clip 31,

the terminal end of which comprises an arched lip 41.

If desired, the upper portions of the springs 12 may have provided thereon a spring edge form 42 of generally known structure." The lower portion of the spring edge form is hooked over the legs of the springs 12 by the reverse bend 43 and hook 44. The upper part 45 ofthe spring edge form 42 is unsupported so that it is springably yieldable to provide resilient auxiliary support along the upper edge of the back rest. I

Also, if desired, one or more of the surfaces of the clips 15 and 31 may be covered with a layer 46 of wearresistant thermoplastic resin or other suitable material which functions as a noise-deadening member by elimi nating squeaks or other noises caused by rubbing action of the springs against the clip surfaces.

It is thought that the invention and its numerous at tendant advantages will be fully understood from the foregoing description, and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, or'sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, the forms herein disclosed being preferred embodiments for the purpose of illustrating the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A seating structure comprising a frame including a pair of spaced frame rails, a sinuous, wire spring comprising a series of opposing, staggered, wire loops connected by substantially straight, wire legs, said spring extending in the form of an arch between said rails, a substantially fiat clip mounted on a face of one of said rails, said clip having a spring seat immediately opposite to said face and facing said face, in which seat is seated the leg of said spring which is adjacent the last or outer leg of an end of said spring and also having an outwardly facing seat in which said last leg is seated, the terminal end of said spring being held in substantially flat orientation next to and substantially parallel with said face of said rail with the curvature of the arch of said spring being the sharpest in the portion adjacent said terminal end, and means attaching the opposite end of said spring to the other rail.

2 A seating structure comprising a frame including a pair of spaced frame rails, a sinuous, wire spring comprising a series of opposing, staggered, wire loops connected by substantially straight, wire legs, said spring extending in the form of an arch between said rails, a substantially fiat clip mounted on a face of one of said rails, said clip having a spring seat immediately opposite to said face and facing said face, in which seat is seated the leg of said spring which is adjacent the last or outer leg of an end of said spring and also having an outwardly facing seat in which said last leg is seated, the terminal end of said spring being held in substantially flat orientation next to and substantially parallel with said face of said rail with the curvature Of the arch of said spring being the sharpest in the portion adjacent said terminal end, a second clip mounted on the other of said rails, said second clip having an arcuate seat greater than a semicircle but less than a full circle, said seat opening outwardly at a narrow, springable neck, and a leg of the opposite end of said spring being seated in said arcuate seat.

3. A seating structure including a spring-supported back rest comprising a back rest frame including a lower rail and an upper rail, a sinuous, wire spring extending in the form of an arch between said rails, said spring comprising a series of opposing, staggered, wire loops connected by substantially straight, wire legs, a substantially flat clip mounted on the upper face of said lower rail in a substantially horizontal position, said clip being an elongated metal band bent into a transverse arch spaced upwardly from said upper face and forming a downwardly facing groove seat in which the leg of said spring which is adjacent the last or outer leg of an end of said spring is seated, said metal band being further bent at the rearward edge thereof to form an upwardly-facing seat in which is seated said last leg, said end of said spring being held in said seats in substantially fiat orientation next to and substantially parallel with said upper face, and means attaching the opposite end of said spring to said upper rail.

4. A seating structure including a spring-supported back rest comprising a back rest frame including a lower rail and an upper rail, a sinuous, wire spring extending in the form of an arch between said rails, said spring comprising a series of opposing, staggered, wire loops connected by substantially straight, wire legs, a substantially flat clip mounted on the upper face of said lower rail in a substantially horizontal position, said clip being an elongated metal band bent into a transverse arch spaced upwardly from said upper face and forming a downwardly facing groove seat in which the leg of said spring which is adjacent the last or outer leg of an end of said spring is seated, said metal band being further cut at the rearward edge thereof to form an upwardlyfacing seat in which is seated said last leg, said end of said spring being held in said seats in substantially flat orientation next to and substantially parallel with said upper face, a clip mounted on said upper rail comprising a metal band bent to provide a fiat base lying against the upper face of said upper rail, a leg extending downwardly therefrom adjacent the front face of said upper rail, and an arcuate seat at the lower end of said leg, which seat is greater than a semicircle but less than a full circle and opens upwardly at a narrow, springable neck, and a leg of the opposite end of said spring being seated in said arcuate seat.

5. A structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein said rearward edge of said metal band has an upwardly and forwardly directed li extending over said upwardly-facing seat.

6. A substantially fiat clip for mounting a sinuous spring on a frame member comprising a metal band having at one end thereof a flat base portion adapted to be fixedly attached to said frame member, a bend in the longitudinal mid-portion of said band defining a transverse, downwardly-facing groove seat offset relative to said base portion, and another bend at the opposite end of said band defining an upwardly-facing, transverse groove seat, said groove seats adapted to receive adjacent legs of a sinuous spring for mounting an end of said spring on said frame member.

7. A substantially fiat clip for mounting a sinuous spring on a frame member comprising a metal band having at one end thereof a flat base portion adapted to be fixedly attached to said frame member, a bend in the longitudinal mid-portion of said band defining a transverse, downwardly facing groove seat offset relative to said base portion, and another bend at the opposite end of said band defining an upwardly facing, transverse groove seat with a lip formed by the edge of said opposite end extending over said upwardly-facing seat groove, said groove seats adapted to receive adjacent legs of a sinuous spring for mounting an end of said spring on said frame member.

8. In a clip for supporting the end of sinuous spring strips on a frame having a top and bottom rail, said spring strips having oppositely disposed loops joined by straight 25 portions, said clip having a supporting portion and a fiat Z-shaped extension embodying an angularly disposed section with oppositely extending webs at the ends, the straight portion between the endmost loops of the spring strip being disposed on the bottom side of the clip adjacent to the downwardly extending web and the end straight portion of the strip being disposed on the top side of the clip adjacent to the upwardly extending web, said supporting portion having slots therethrough by which the clip is secured to the top face of the bottom rail, the spring strip when secured in the clip extending forwardly and arching upwardly with the top end portion secured to a clip attached to the top rail.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,439,789 4/1948 Bank 5255 X 2,613,734 10/1952 Hopkes 5259 X 2,652,885 9/1953 Engel 267103 2,685,330 8/1954 Handren et a1. 5259 X 2,716,442 8/1955 Larson et al. 267-11l 2,877,471 3/1959 Ansett 5259 3,199,163 8/1965 Surletta 5259 X FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

R. D. KRAUS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SEATING STRUCTURE COMPRISING A FRAME INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED FRAME RAILS, A SINUOUS, WIRE SPRING COMPRISING A SERIES OF OPPOSING, STAGGERED, WIRE LOOPS CONNECTED BY SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT, WIRE LEGS, SAID SPRING EXTENDING IN THE FORM OF AN ARCH BETWEEN SAID RAILS, A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT CLIP MOUNTED ON A FACE OF ONE OF SAID RAILS, SAID CLIP HAVING A SPRING SEAT IMMEDIATELY OPPOSITE TO SAID FACE AND FACING SAID FACE, IN WHICH SEAT IS SEATED THE LEG OF SAID SPRING WHICH IS ADJACENT THE LAST OR OUTER LEG OF AN END OF SAID SPRING AND ALSO HAVING AN OUTWARDLY FACING SEAT IN WHICH SAID LAST LEG IS SEATED, THE TERMINAL END OF SAID SPRING BEING HELD IN SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT ORIENTATION NEXT TO AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH SAID FACE OF SAID RAIL WITH THE CURVATURE OF THE ARCH OF SAID SPRING 